


To Serve and Protect

by crysgen78



Category: Eureka
Genre: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-21
Updated: 2009-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-04 21:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crysgen78/pseuds/crysgen78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn't always easy to be the protector of a town.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Serve and Protect

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sheepfairy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheepfairy/gifts).



Jack Carter stared down at the blood pool watching it spread out in a somewhat oval pattern with the snowflakes causing small ripples in the viscous liquid. This was not something he expected to happen in Eureka. Induced ice ages, planetary shift on its axis, an unstable wormhole ready to suck them all into a parallel universe, sure, these are things to be expected. A shooting in comparison just seemed…pedestrian. The fact that he was holding the smoking gun, in point of fact, did nothing to take away the unease that the oddly normal feeling that shooting a bad guy gave him.

"Carter? Carter, you okay?"

Jack looked up from the pooling blood to see Nathan Stark standing slightly behind him, hand outstretched as though to touch him, yet far enough away that Jack could tell he thought better of it. Jack blinked, holstered his weapon, and took a step back from the scene. "I'm fine, Stark." Formality in public was one of the things they'd agreed on when they decided to give the love side of their love/hate relationship a chance. "I need to call Jo. We need to secure the scene. Dot all the Ts and cross all the Is." Jack frowned. "Reverse that."

Nathan almost smiled. "All right," he hesitated. "Do you want me to come over tonight?"

"Yes," Jack responded immediately, blinking rapidly. It had been a long time since he'd felt this weight on his shoulders. "Please."

"Of course, I'll be waiting for you. Don't linger too long with this, Jack."

Jack nodded and waved as Nathan left. He then radioed his deputy and told her the grim news. It was funny that something so horrible, like taking a life, could in turn save many lives. The only thing was that Jack didn't feel like laughing. In fact, he thought he might just cry.

Much paperwork and time passed before Jack made it home. The light when he walked in was muted, soft. He was grateful to live in such a smart house.

"Welcome home, Sheriff Carter," S.A.R.A.H. said. "There is a plate warming for you in the oven if you are hungry."

"Thanks, S.A.R.A.H., but I think I'll just take a beer tonight."

"Is that such a good idea?" Nathan was standing in the kitchen waiting on him.

"That," Jack said as he grabbed his beer, "is a fantastic idea. Really, the best one I had all day."

Nathan just shrugged and let it drop. It was so different than when he and Abby were together. She would have kept picking at him until he ate, and the food would have been like lead in the pit of his stomach, giving him indigestion.

"I think I might just join you then since it's such a good idea." And that was different, too. The company was nice. Jack guessed it was true what they said that burdens were halved when shared and joys doubled.

They made their way back into the living room. The light automatically dimmed to a soft hue. Nathan sat down, placing his beer on the coffee table, and putting one leg up to lounge on the couch with his back against the armrest. Jack sat down with his back to Nathan's chest and sipped his beer. They could be like this together, quiet, introspective, and it was nice. It was kind of amazing really; most people thought that they would kill each other if forced together for any particular time period. Most people, of course, not being Zoë, Allison, Fargo, Jo or Henry who all knew better.

Nathan's arm wrapped around Jack's middle, pulling him flush against him. Jack let his head fall back onto Nathan's shoulder and sighed. "I can't believe I killed somebody today. Shouldn't something like that be visible?"

"You did what you had to do to keep the town, us, safe. I don't envy you your position, Jack, I never have."

"You are prone to making it difficult, though."

Nathan huffed softly, "You love it."

Jack smiled. "Sometimes," they grew quiet again. Sipping their beers and soaking up each other. "Did I ever tell you the story of the first time I had to kill somebody in the line of duty?"

He felt Nathan's arm tighten around him briefly. "You don't have to."

"No, it's okay. It was a long time ago when I first joined the Marshal Service." This felt right. Abby never let him tell her the dark, ugly stuff from work. In truth, he thought he had to protect her and Zoë from it. Nathan was different. He could take it; he had his own dark parts to deal with in life. "Our witness had been compromised. It was a mess. Bullets everywhere. I have never been so scared in all of my life," he paused, "well, up to that point anyway."

"We were trying to retreat to a better position when one of their guys came, I swear, out of nowhere. I didn't even have to think about it. Just instinct, tunnel vision, whatever. I took him down with one through the head." Nathan took his beer from him and placed it on the coffee table, grasping his now free hands between his. Jack let out a breath. "I tried not to think about it. I guess I just never understood how it could be so easy."

"Jack, if it were truly easy, you wouldn't be thinking about it now." Nathan kissed the side of his neck. Patting him on the stomach, he said, "Come on, let's go to bed. We could both use some sleep."

They made their way to the bedroom, undressed, and lay beneath the covers in the dark. Jack sighed, "You'd think that where we are that we would have found a better way, a non-lethal way."

"Well, most of our funding does come from the United States government; they're not exactly known for wanting 'non-lethal'."

"I'm serious, Nathan, a small piece of metal shouldn't be the answer, especially when it ends a life."

Nathan kissed him. "I don't disagree with you, Jack. I just don't have any answers for you right now."

"I know; I'm sorry." Jack rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes to go to sleep. "Good night, Nathan."

Nathan scooted behind him, putting an arm around Jack's waist. He made a mental note to start a side project looking into non-lethal fire arms designed to incapacitate beginning first thing in the morning.


End file.
